This invention relates generally to electrically-powered wheeled vehicles for children, but particularly to vehicles intended for use with infants and other young children. Related information appears in the provisional patent of application No. 61/739,696, which describes some of the mechanical, electrical, control, and communication aspects of the base vehicle. The present invention is an arrangement by which a basic vehicle can be adapted for either inducing calmness in infants by autonomously providing mild motion, possibly with an associated display; or for toddler entertainment as a touch-screen-controlled vehicle, or as a game seat with game display. In these applications, a computer tablet or smart phone is used for the display.
Many different baby carriages, baby walkers, and children's ride-on vehicles have been created and patented. The one described by Wright in referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,813 has, like the present invention, powered wheels, an attachable seat for an infant, and wirelessly-connected remote control. Unlike the present invention, it has a single motor to power its wheels, and no other arrangement for steering. In the present invention, wheels on the left and right sides are driven by separate bidirectional motors, so the vehicle is steered by differentially rotating the two wheels. When driven by the motor, the invention of Wright moves only on a straight-line path, whereas the present invention can be controlled to move on complex curved paths.
Also, unlike the present invention, the invention of Wright does not have a means for conversion to a ride-on vehicle for older children (although it can be used as a walker for toddlers). The present invention provides for such a conversion by having an alternative seat for larger children and an arrangement by which a computer tablet or smart phone can be used for vehicle control by a child driver.
It is one of the purposes of this invention to provide a means of entertainment and education of young children. A computer tablet or smart phone provides enhancement in those directions. In particular, a computer tablet or smart phone normally used by other family members can be placed in temporary service to provide sounds and visual images to the child; and, for older children, to provide for vehicle control through the touch screen. When used this way, the computer tablet or smart phone is paired with the electronics system of the vehicle so that data can be passed between the two devices by computer communication.
Details of computer communication and other aspects of the overall computer arrangement are not described here as they are well known to persons skilled in the appropriate art. If appropriate computer software is installed in the computer tablet or smart phone, the device can present sounds, show videos, present interactive games, and even have the vehicle move in concordance with the display. For example, for an infant the vehicle might provide a rocking motion synchronized with music.
Some families will want a vehicle which can be used with an infant, then converted to one for use by a young child. An important feature of the present invention provides such a conversion. This might be particularly useful to a family that has both an infant and a young child. However, there are other families which will not need a vehicle for an infant, but which would like the vehicle to be as inexpensive a possible. Therefore, the invention includes a version for which seats are not interchangeable. Production cost for that version would be less than that of one with interchangeable seats, thereby making lower-cost retail sales possible.
In both of these figures, a dashed line indicates the hidden surface of the seat.